Roberto Martinez says he would not swap squads with Colin Calderwood despite the larger budget being available to the Forest man
Calderwood has spent in excess of 4 million punds since securing promotion to the Championship back in May whereas the Swansea boss has spent less than 25% of that preferring instead to scour Europe for some of the best talent available to him.
And as he prepares to test that method against that of Calderwood this weekend, you would forgive Roberto if he cast a wanting eye at the cheque book at the City Ground and wonder what he could do with that kind of funding.
But not Roberto he knows that he is doing the thing he wants to do and it is easy to say at this moment that he has proved to be more successful than Calderwood without the expenditure - the Swans finished 10 points ahead of Forest last season.
Speaking in today's Western Mail, the Swans boss said “When you start the season with that kind of spending power of course it makes you a favourite
“I am not jealous because I think it is an easy thing to blame money in football or use it as an excuse – it is a coward’s way. We haven’t got the money, but we have got on with it and we have had to find other ways to be competitive.
“And now, when you look at the players, I wouldn’t swap my squad for theirs. I just see it as a great challenge for us to compete.
“I don’t know what happens in someone else’s house, I just know what’s happening here,” he said on Forest’s financial push this summer. “This club is being run properly and slowly we will grow and every step will be a solid one.
“We need to enjoy what we’ve got rather than looking elsewhere, but one day we will be able to spend that kind of money too.
“The more successful we are on the pitch, the more we will grow because we will have assets that have come with us and when you sell a £2m player and you are financially stable you can then spend.
“Those kind of things are long-term targets but one day this club could buy a £3m player.”